College Football: Zulli one of three finalists for Harlon Hill Trophy

SHIPPENSBURG — Zach Zulli may have thought his football season was over following last week’s NCAA Division II second-round loss to Winston-Salem State.

Not quite.

The Shippensburg junior quarterback — a graduate of Perkiomen Valley High School — will be boarding a flight next week to attend the Harlon Hill Trophy Presentation Banquet at The Shoals in Florence, Ala.

Zulli, who broke countless school and Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference single-season and career records and tied one national mark, was earlier named one of the eight regional finalists for the Harlon Hill Trophy — Division II’s equivalent of the Heisman Trophy. Early Friday, he was named one of the three national finalists who will be attending the presentation, set for Friday, Dec. 14, the night before the Division II national championship game.

Candidates for the award were nominated by the sports information directors at their respective schools. Those nominations were then reviewed by the Hill Regional Advisory Committees, which narrowed the list of candidates.

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Joining Zulli at the festivities will be running backs Franklyn Quiteh of Bloomsburg and Michael Hill of Missouri Western State.

It’s the first time since 2005 the PSAC has had two finalists for the prestigious award. That year, East Stroudsburg quarterback Jimmy Terwilliger won the Harlon Hill Trophy, while Bloomsburg running back Jamar Brittingham finished third in the voting. The only other PSAC player to win a Harlon Hill award was Bloomsburg running back Irv Sigler in 1997. Sigler was inducted into Bloomsburg’s Hall of Fame last month.

Despite getting eliminated last week in the playoffs, Zulli still ranks No. 1 in all college football divisions with his 4,747 yards passings and 54 touchdowns — which tied the NCAA single-season mark. He broke NCAA single-season records for touchdowns responsible (57) and points responsible (344). All three of those records were previously set in 2000 by Valdosta State quarterback Dusty Bonner, who won the first of his back-to-back Harlon Hill trophies that season.

In just his second season as the Red Raiders’ quarterback, Zulli guided Shippensburg to Division II’s top-rated offense (529.9 yards a game) and second-rated passing offense (387.7). Individually, Zulli is ranked third in total offense (382.3) and passing efficiency (165.25).

Next weekend’s banquet will also include the induction of two all-time greats into the Division II Football Hall of Fame. For Kutztown University linebacker John Mobley — who went on to become an all-pro in the NFL — and former Fort Valley State University (Ga.) defensive back Tyrone Poole comprise the hall’s Class of 2012.